The first translation into Welsh of Bacon's 'Essays'. 160pp., 12mo. Disbound pamphlet without wraps. Title-leaf loose, otherwise in fair condition, on lightly aged paper. The volume contains the fifty-eight essays, the fragment of an essay 'Of Fame' and 'The Praise of Knowledge', together with the biography and notes by Richard Williams of Welshpool. No copy in the National Library of Wales, and the only copy on COPAC at the British Library, whose entry tentatively dates the work to the year 1870. Now extremely scarce.

Learned and witty, Spedding was a popular figure within the literary scene of Victorian London. As he lay dying following an accident, Tennyson rushed to the hospital and begged admission to his bedside. When approached by Delia Bacon, he dismissed the Baconian theory with contempt, and was the first to realise that the play 'Henry VIII' was a collaboration between Shakespeare and John Fletcher. Both of the present letters are signed 'Jas Spedding' and addressed to 'My dear Mrs. Pollock', and both in good condition, on lightly aged and worn paper, with minor traces of glue from mount.

F. G. Kitton [Frederic George Kitton] (1856-1904), English artist and writer, an authority on Charles Dickens, Shakespeare and Francis Bacon

Publication details:

St Albans, England. 20 March 1899.

£65.00

1p., on 11 x 9 cm card. Addressed on reverse 'To the Editor of The Book Buyer | c/o Messrs. C. Scribner's Sons | New York City | U.S.A.' With two postmarks. In fair condition, lightly aged and worn, and postage stamp removed. Since posting a letter on the previous day, he has 'discovered another article satirising the Bacon-Shakespeare theory', as with the one 'in Macmillan', anonymous. It is titled 'Who wrote Dickens's Novels?', and appeared in the Cornhill Magazine, August 1888. 'The author humorously endeavours to prove that Gladstone wrote them!!'

One page, sm. folio, sl. crumpled and stained, C17th hand. Another copy (BL Sloane MS. 3562, f.99, to Spedding, the "best copy") is reproduced in Spedding, ed., 'The Works of Francis Bacon', vol. XIII, p.144, with the suggestion that, though James was capable, Bacon himself could have written it. A copy is also to be found in the Harley MS., and presumably elsewhere. The Sloane and Harley copies differ in small matters from this one (one of several examples, "nobis" for "Sloane's "vobis" in 'quam nobis suspecta'). One obvious anomaly.

These two items cast interesting light on the working practices of a notable firm in a specialist field of printing. ONE: From Perkins, Bacon & Petch, 16 January 1852. 4pp., 4to. In good condition, on lightly-aged paper. They have received his letter, from which they quote a passage in which Bennet states that on 'account of the inconvenience caused by the time which must elapse before we can obtain a supply of Letters of Credit from London to revert to our former practice of obtaining them from our Edinbugh Engraver.

2pp., foolscap 8vo. In fair condition, on lightly aged and worn paper. A fair copy of a twenty-eight line poem, arranged in seven four-line stanzas. Signed at end 'P. L. | December 1960.' The first stanza reads 'Rain-threaded gull-wheeling bell-clamorous air, | by wind shifted, by smoke lightly weighted, | in which sirens beautifully despair, | no monumnet crumbles uncelebrated,'. The poem ends with a simile of 'Adam when he woke: | stood for a moment as if he had been blind, | and bent suddenly over Eve, and spoke.' There is no indication that the poem has been published.

2pp., 12mo. Bifolium. Good, on lightly-aged paper. In original stamped and postmarked envelope, addressed by Smiles. The 'last photographic likeness' of Smiles 'was taken by Mr S. A. Walker, 230 Regent Street W'. Smiles has 'no doubt' that Walker will let Bacon 'have a copy' (i.e. Bacon will not be getting a free copy from Smiles). Smiles's book 'Physical Education' was 'published by me no less than 44 years ago. It had a small sale, and is now quite out of print. Though pretty good at the time, there are now far better works on the subject.'

Autograph items (all 12mo) very good; TLS (letter 7, quarto) aged and worn at extremities. All items bearing the Society's stamp, and most docketed as answered. Letter 1 (16 September 1901, three pages). Asks if Wood will 'act as Judge' at a 'Photographic Exhibition' held at 'a local Institution'. Letter 2 (23 September 1901, four pages). On behalf of Committee thanks Wood for agreeing. 'The Exhibition beings to take definite shape'. Suggests that 'one other Colleague to assist' may be needed, and suggests individuals. Letter 3 (27 September 1901, four pages).